Towing

I have a question for the Gen 3 hive mind. Please forgive me, I know the towing thing has been done to death but I'm still confused. I'd love to tow a Boler (North American fibreglass "egg" style caravan) and the 13' version weighs 1200 lbs. Some sources give a 350 kg maximum towing capacity but at the same time I've seen 1300kg braked as a upper weight limit. Is anyone able to enlighten me as to whether I'll be safe towing a braked Boler?
Thanks,
Rick

Check your V5. If it has towing capacities listed then those are the figures you have to go by. Otherwise it's 1300kg braked and 550kg (half the kerb weight) un-braked.

Is the Boler braked? If not, I understand they weren’t as standard then look at the un-braked limit for a Gen 3, which I think is quoted at 350kg. At 1200 pound a Boler is 544kg.

Member Scimike tows a caravan, he would most likely be the best person to advise.

Robin

I'll try and help also, easy for me as it's on my V5.
So as above check your V5 first.
It may state the permitted towing capacity. My 2009 V5 states 350kg unbaked, 1300kg braked and that's what I can legally tow with my Jimny.

If your V5 has nothing listed the recommendation in the handbook is 350kg unbraked, 450kg braked, but it's only a recommendation! 
It then goes on to state you can tow what you want up to the vehicle GVWR (that's a fully loaded vehicle plus trailer nose weight - 50kg.) so long as you adhere to local laws. 
​​​​​​
Alternatively your Vin plate has two figures, the first (1420kg on mine) is the maximum GVWR.
The second (2720kg on mine) is the maximum vehicle train weight, that's GVWR plus trailer. You cannot exceed this. If you do the maths (2720-1420=1300) that's 1300kg left after you have filled the Jimny for a trailer, that the reason behind this maximum tow figure.

If you can't find any stated figures the rule of thumb is 85% vehicle kerb weight of tow vehicle for braked trailer and 50% unbraked, but it's only a guide and not legally enforceable. Its a simply a "caravan club" type recommendation that sometimes gets confused as law, it's not. That would be about 1000kg braked and 600kg unbraked for about 1200kg vehicle.

I've towed 450kg unbaked and the Jimny was fine, but if I went on public roads it's technically illegal for my Jimny.  I currently tow (legally) about 750kg (braked) and the Jimny is stable and brakes ok, what it lacks is power. Any hill will have you revving the living daylights out of it to maintain any form of speed. But on the flat it will pull at 55mph and return about 28-32 mpg on motorway etc.
If you are not in a rush and don't mind the odd bit of unsympathetic revving then they will tow fine, but not very fast!

Hope this helps.

Thanks, great info. I’m in Canada, we don’t have V5s here. It looks like I’ll be ok with a Boler as long as I can find one that’s had brakes added.

You'll be fine without brakes if your law allows it, although brakes do add en extra level of reassurance. My old firewood trailer was similar weight un-braked and I did many thousands of miles with it without issues. My new one is 1100kg braked and is also fine. Whatever you tow, you always have to adapt your driving style and expectations accordingly.